Aeroplane



E m- 58 an 458 c X8 1 978-6 Q 121 Dec. 23, 1930. J. 5. WALKER 1,786,181

. AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 18, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 XNVENTOR.

.lsrryiwalker.

J. S. WALKER Dec. 23, 1930.

AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 18, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JET-cg SNalker.

ATTORNEYS.

J. 5. WALKER 1,786,181

AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 18, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

.1 E311; SWalker.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1939 stares rarest caries] JERRY S. WALKER, F SEMINOLE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OF FIVEFOBTY-EIGHTHSTO JAMES B. ALLEF, ONE-TWELF'I'H '20 OLAUD A. VVILQJN, OIlE-TWELFTH TO EMMETT 0. WILSON, ONE-TWELFTI-I T0 EDD T. MA'YES,

ONE-TXVELFIH TO EDWARD C. KELLEY,

ONE TWENTY-FOURTH T0 SAMUEL S. GREEN, AND ONE FORTY- EIGHTH 1'0 j IJMQRGANLALL or SEMINOLE, OKLAHOMA AEROZPLANE The present invention relates to aircraft of the heavier than air type, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a construction for aeroplanes which will greatly ,5 reduce the dangers encountered thru forced landings caused by engine or any other troubles which would act to cause the plane to descend. i

A further object of the invention is to pro- 10 vide an aeroplane having such control as to permit of the aeroplane being lowered in a comparatively vertical directionv and'on an even keel or upright position with little or practically no forward motion to the plane.

A further object of the invention is to proride an aeroplane of such construction as to permit of quick raising of'the aeroplane from the ground without requiring the usual long run ordinarily required for a take off.

' A further object of the invention resides in aconst-ruction wherein the tail acts in conjunction with the wings of the aeroplane for sustaining the weight of the plane and also as a stabilizing means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an aeroplane having companion sets of tiltable wings arranged in tandem and connected for unitary or independent movement for enabling the aeroplane to descend substantially vertically and without rolling.

ther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with tl e accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved aeroplane.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central longitudi nal section thru the body or fuselage of the aeroplane and showing the controls and one manner of propelling the aeroplane.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation 7 and showing by dotted lines the manner in Application filed December 18, 1928. Seria1 No. 326,799. t

which the wings may be tilted or inclined to produce morelift. v e j; Figure lis anenlarged fragmentary detail sectiontakensubstantially on the line H of Figure 2 and showing the manner in which the companion setsof wings are detachably secured to the sides of the aeroplane body.

Figure 5 is anenlarged detail view of the wing mountings and also showing the spring sleeve connecting companion sets of wings to permit independent tilting ofthe wings.

Figure 6 is'an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the wing control levers and showing one method of retaining the keeper dog unlatched to permit-free swinging of the lever.

Figure 7. is an enlarged fragmentary view of the footcontrol pedal for the tail or sustaining rudder. i

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 8-8 of Figured and showing the manner in which the wing braces are connected to permit tilting-of the wings. Referring to the drawings in detail, and wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding. parts thruout the several views, the numeral 5 designates the body or fuselage provided with fore and aft sets of laterally projecting wings 6 and 7 respectively, and a horizontally disposed sustaining tail 8 of a substantial area as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The body or fuselage 5 embodies a suitably covered framing including a pair of upper longitudinal side rails 9 which preferably extend in parallel relation. The top, bottom and sides converge at their forward ends to provide a pointed forward end 10 forthe fuselage, while the rear end of the fuselage also converges to a point with the bottom rounded as at 11. A suitable seat 12 is mounted in the fuselage beneath the cockpit opening 13. The landing gear for the aeroplane preferably consists of a pair of front wheels ll mounted one at each side of the fuselage, and a single rear wheel 15 suitably mounted adjacent the rear end of the fuselage at the longitudinal center thereof. The wheels ll and 15 may be mounted in any suitable shocl: absorbing means and are preferably provided respectively with brake drums 1% and 15' housing suitable brake mechanisms controlled by a brake pedal 16. The brake rod 17 connects the pedal 16 with the front wheel brake, while a brake rod connects the pedal 16 with the bralre'for'the rear wheel, and suitable means such as a springli) may be associated with the brake rod 17 for causing a braking action to becreated on the brake drum 15' slightly in ad-' vance of the braking action on the drum 1%.

Referring now to the specific :wingan provided with eambered upper surfaces and flat lower surfaces as shown in Figure 3, and the wings are intended to be mounted in tandem with the trailing edges of the fore set of wings spaced in advance of the leading edges of the aft or rear set of wings 7 1 Referring particularly to Figures 4 and 0 wherein is shown in detail the mounting arrangement for the sets of wingsl'it will be noted that the companion sets of aft wings 7 are mounted in bearing brackets 20 mounted in axial alignment beneath the side frame rails 9. Rotatably mounted in each bearing bracket 20 is a flanged bearing 21 provided with a thru and thru square and tapering opening 22. These openings 22 are intended to receive square and tapering shanks 23 of wing supports 24 which are rigidly attached in any preferred manner to the inner ends of the wings. The inner ends of the shanks are reduced and threaded as at 25 to receive suitablenuts 26 serving to' retain the wing supports coupled, to the flanged bearings. Preferably cast integral at the inner side of the bearings 91 is a cupped portion 27 provided with a square extension 28 extending coaxial with the axis of rotation of the hearing portion 21. The cupped portion 27 as will be observed permits of ready replacing and removal of the retaining nuts 26. Depending from and if so desired, formed integral wit-h the bearings Ell. is a crank arm 29 which when swung in a direction longitudinally of the fuselage acts to tilt or root: their respective wings about an axis at a right a gle to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. It may here be well to note that the wing supports or fixtures El are disposed slightly forward of the longitudinal axis of the wings.

Connected between the square extensions 28 of each fore and aft set of axially aligned wing mounting bearings 21 is a lon itudinally split tubular tie member 30 naving squared hollow end portions 31 for receiving the square extensions 28 and to be attached hereto as by suitable fastening elements These tie members 30 are preferably formed from spring steel and while normally acting to retain their companion sets of wings in a like position will permit of independent rocking'of companion *3 mgs thru a twisting of the tie member. is will be observed, the spring tie member 30 aside from permitting independent tilting of the wings, also acts as a brace or tie between the companion sets of wings.

As to the operating means for tilting the wings, the same will permit, thru the spring tie members 30, a pair of wings 6 and 7 at one'sideof the fuselage to be tilted while the pair of wings 6 and 7 at the opposite side of the fuselage may be held horizontal or at a tilted position; This control means consists of a; pair of pivoted wing control levers 34- arranged one at each side of the fuselage directly forward of the seat 12 with each'lever having connected thereto a forwardly extendingfront wingcontrol rod and a rearardly extending rear wing control rod 36, the rods 35 and'36 being pivotally connected to their respective control levers. The forwardly extenoing control rods are pivotally connected at their forwa '6. ends to the lower ends of the crank arms 29 for operating the front wings, while the rear ends of the control rodsBS are pivotally connected to the lower ends of the crank arms 29 for operating'the rear set of wings. As will be observed in Figure 2 when the control lever 3% is swung forwardly the crank arms 29 will also be'swung forwardly and cause the forward or leading ed es of the wings to be tilted upwardly as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3. W hen the lever is swung rearwardly the tilting of the wings will be reversed, that is, the leading edges of the wings will be lowered. Each control lever flat is provided with a toothed sector in which a keeper engages for retaining the lever in any set position. Tl eeper one a pivoted hand grip shown 1 and this pivoted hand carries a latch 39 which upper end of the lever he per out or engag-sm F U U W. sectoi I): so teat the leier may \11 when so desired. When either one r wing control levers is in an unlatched position the operator may control sets e" wings by one control lever. When the he er of either lever is in ct sector the i one side of the fu position and the pair of wings at the opposite side oft-he fuselage allowed to-be rocked thru the. provision o-fthe spring tie mem- A means is: provided'for limiting tilting or rocking of the wings, and his means may consist of arcuately slotted guide members t0 suitably secured to the sides of the fuselage 5 adjacent the front and rear edges of each wing. The arcuate slots in the guide members d0 are closed at both ends and receive suitable pins or projections l-l carried by the inner ends of the wings adjacent the front and rearedges of the wings. The slots in the members 40 are on an arc concentric with the pivotal axis of the wings and as the pins or projections L1 reach the ends of the slots further tilting or-rocking of the wings will beprevented. v p r 1 Projecting upwardly from the fuselage above each point of -mounting of drawings, is a brace 42, wi d1 each. transversely all ing set of braces having a guy wire trained thereover and connected at opposite ends to pivoted anchors et-i mounted-in the wings. These guy or brace wires-i8 serve to brace the sets of pivoted win s, and connected with the lower end of each pivoted anchor Hf a lower guy wire 4.5 which extends to the lower edge of the fuselage 5. The anchors i l ex: tend vertically thru the wings and'are pivot ally mounted upon a suitable bracket l6 carried by the wing structurewith the pivot pin for the anchor arranged in ariial align: ment with, the pivotal a is of the wings. This manner of supporting the. wings will allow-for tilting of the wings without creating any binding action upon; the guylwires 43 andelf). r Referring 'now to the tail,;8,,w"i i'ch acts to aid in sustaining. the aeroplane and also balancing the same, the same aswill be observed is of relatively large area and is pivotallymounted at its forwardedge as at he tail 8 is intended to be lowered by means of acable -l8 connected with afoot pedal 49 shown in detail in Figure Topcrating in conjunction with a toothed rack 50. The operation of the foot lever 49 is such as to permit of the tail or horizontal rudder 8 being retained in a set position. The lever t?) is provided with a tooth 51 for eng ing in the notches of the rack 50. and connected. with the lower end of the lover is a spring mounted upon a suitable block rotatable in a bearing 54:. hen desiring: to free the lever the operator merely shifts the lever laterally shown by dottedlines in Figure 7 and then swings the lever forwardly or rearwardly to the desired position. A hand lever is provided for elevating the tail or sustaining rudder 8, and a cable Ellis connected with the lever and trained over suitable sheaves for proper connection '"ica the tail. Suitable leaf springs 5? act upon opposite sides of the lever 55 for nor-mall rc taining the same in an upright position for normally returning the lever to an upright position when the tail or sustaining rudder 8 is horizontal. This hand lever 55 will ordinarily only be required for use in righting the plane or when it is desirable to forcibly swing the tail away from the fuselage.

Referring now to the propelling means for the aeroplane, a pedaled drive means has been shown by way of example, altho it is to be understood that suitable motive power may be employed. In the example shown the drive means consists of a power gear rotatable by suitable pedals 61, and which power gear meshes with a small'bevel gear 62 connected with a drive shaft 63 extending longitudinally of the fuselage and carrying at its rear end a bevel gear .64 meshing'with a bevel gear 65 carried by a transverse fly wheel shaft 66 on which are mounted suitable fly wheels 67.' This transverse driven shaft 66 preferably extends at its ends slightly be yond the side walls of the fuselage and has detachably coupled to its ends as'byImean-s of suitable couplings 68, one end of flexible drive shafts 69 extending outwardly and upwardly beneath the aft or rear set of wings 7. Mounted in each aft wing 7 is a propeller shaft 70 which projects forwardly of the wing and carry suitable propellers 71. Each shaft 70 carries a,worm 72 which meshes with a worm gear 73 driven by the flexible drive shaft 69. The gearings 70 and 73 are preferably enclosed in the wing constructions and the outer ends of the flexible drive shafts are preferably coupled with a detachable connection 74 to stub shafts of the worm gears projecting downwardly thru the win gs; Any suitable type of clutch device as at 75 in Figure 2 may be interposed in the drive shaft 63 or at any other desired location for permitting continued rotation of the fly wheel shaft (36 under its attained momentum without rotation of the power gear 60.

As will be'observed, the propellers 71 are carried by the leading edges of the rear set of pivoted wings 7 and are intended for up and down movement upon tilting of the wings so that the axis of rotation of the propellers inclines with the angular inelined position of the By observing'Figure 3 it vill be seen that when the wings T are inclined as shown in the dotted line pCSltlOil that the propellers 71 are in a position to produce both a lifting and propellinu' force which will tend to raise the aeropl. ie with a quick action. During flight, the movement of the aeroplane may be controlled almost entirely thru proper tilting of the wings and the tail or sustaining rudder remain in substantially a set position. By so having the pairs of wings at either side of the fuselage connected so that the same may be tilted independently of the wings at the opposite side of the. fuselage, it will be seen that thru tilting of one pair of wings that one side of the aeroplane will be elevated thru the additional lift acting beneath the tilted wings. In making a substantially vertical descent, it will be seen that by proper tilting of the wings at either side of the fuselage that more or less slip will be caused at the tilted wing side and cause that side to lower slightly faster than the wings in the flat position at the opposite side of the fuselage until the aeroplane has been brought to a level keel. Should the forward end of the fuselage have a tendenc to lower too rapidly, the fuselage may be brought to a horizontal position thru proper operation of the sustaining rudder or tail 8.

The outer ends of the sets of wings are preferably connected by suitable tie members pivotally connected to the ends of the wings at their pivotal axes.

lVhile the aeroplane has been shown provided with a manually operable propelling means, it is to be understood that any type of power drive means may be substituted and arranged in the fuselage at a location to properly balance. It is preferred however that when power drive means be employed that the propellers be carried by the leading edges of the front set of wings owing to the increased power which will be delivered by the propellers. I 4

. From the foregoing description itwill be apparent that a novel and improved construction for aeroplanes been provided which will permit of landing and take oils of the aeroplane upon relatively small ground areas. It will also be apparent that a novel wing control arrangement has been provided wherein the wings may be so operated as to retain the aeroplane on an even keel and against rolling. It will further be apparent that a novel arrangement has been provided wherein the tail acts as a sustaining means for the aeroplane in conjunction with the pivotally mounted wings.

Changes in detail may be made to the forn of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane comprising a body having pointed front and rear ends, sets of wings mounted in tandem to project laterally from opposite sides of the body, said wings being pivotally mounted to tilt about an axis transversely of the body. and a relatively large sustainin tail pivotally mounted above the rear end portion of the body.

2. In an aeroplane, a body, a pair of wings pivotally mounted in tandem at one side of the body, a companion pair of wings pivotally mounted in tandem at the opposite side of the body on pivots co-axia1 with the first mentioned pair of wings, a propeller mounted at the leading edge of the rear wing of each pair of wings, independently operable control means for correspondingly moving the wings of each pair of wings, a sustaining rudder hingedly carried by the body rearwardly of the wings, and control means for the rudder.

3. In an aeroplane, a body, pairs of wings pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the vbody, means for tilting the wings at one side of the body independently of the wings at the opposite sides of the body, a sustaining rudder hingedly mounted at its forward. edge to the body rearwardly of said wings, a foot pedal for lowering the rudder and capable of being locked in set positions, a lever for raising the rudder, and spring means acting upon the lever for normally returning the lever to a set position.

t. In an aeroplane, a body, a set of fore and aft wings pivotally and detachably mounted upon the body, control means for independently pivoting the wings in unison at either side of the body, drive means including a shaft extending transversely of the body, a shaft mounted in each wing of one set of wings, a propeller mounted upon each shaft at the leading edge of each wing, a driving connection detachably connected between each propeller shaft and the ends of the power driven shaft, and a sustaining rudder mounted horizontally upon the body rearwardly of said wings. I

5. In an aeroplane, a pair of wings pivotally and detachably mounted in tandem at opposite sides of the body, means for tilt-- ing either pair of wings independently of the companion pair, bracing for the wings including an anchor pivotally carried by each wing on its axis of rotation and guy wires connected with the anchors above and below the wings, means for propelling the aeroplane, and a. horizontally hinged tail of rel atively arge area mounted on the body rearwardly of the wings.

6. In an aeroplane, a body, a pair of wings pivotally mounted in tandem at each side of the body with the pivotal axes of the wings of each pair aligning transversely of the body, a control lever for each pair of wings, releasable latch means for each lever, a id a spring shaft connecting axially aligning wings. I

7. In an aeroplane, a body, a set of front and rear bearing brackets mounted in the body, a mounting bearing rotatably mounted in each bracket and each including a crank arm, a wing non-rotatably mounted in each hearing to project laterally of the body, a spring shaft connecting the mounting bearings in axial alignment, a pair of control levers each having latch means for releas ably retaining the levers in aset position, and control rods connected between each lever and the crank arms to permit tilting of the wings at either side of the body in a like direction.

Ill)

8. In an aeroplane, a body, bearing brackets mounted in axial alignment transversely of the body, a mounting bearing rotatably mounted in each bracket and including an inward extension axially with the axis of ro tation of the bearing, a spring shaft connected between the extension to permit relative rotation of the mounting bearings, means connected with each mounting bearing for rotation thereof, and a wing non-rotatably supported in each mounting bearing.

JERRY S. lVALKER. 

